COVID-19 Disinformation Must Be Combated

Disinformation poses a unique threat to our stability and society in the age of COVID-19.

As the coronavirus continues to scorch its way across the U.S. and
nations throughout the world, the coronavirus pandemic is swiftly becoming one
of the defining global missteps and challenges of the early 21st century.

As governments across the world continue to lock down cities and implement social distancing measures to slow the spread of the virus; in hopes of buying medical personnel precious time in an effort to try and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, the world in many ways has come to a halt as the virus continues its spread.

However, in the midst of the pandemic as the coronavirus advances across
the globe, another outbreak has been quietly festering. Not a virological one,
but one that involves disinformation and misinformation regarding the
coronavirus itself.

Since gaining a foothold outside of China, misinformation regarding
the coronavirus has exploded online amid the outbreak. In the wake of stay-at-home
orders, non-essential business closures, economic turmoil and a botched federal
response, people have turned to the internet in search of clarity and
reassurance on things such as preventive measures, self-diagnoses, and
information regarding the nature of the virus.

Amidst a sea of confusion, the planet is caught in what is possibly
the deadliest information crisis that the world has ever faced.

While the world has weathered outbreaks, epidemics and even global
pandemics before in the past, never before has the world faced one in the midst
of a technologically advanced landscape like the one that we have today.

If you’ve spent even a little bit of time on the internet, chances
are you’ve probably come across numerous examples of disinformation regarding
the coronavirus. In fact, it’s one of the few things that might spread just as
fast as the virus itself.

Some examples include claims that eating garlic or taking sips of
water can prevent infection. Others however are more nefarious, with outrageous
claims that the virus is actually caused by 5G Wi-Fi, that it originated in a
laboratory as a bioweapon or that social distancing measures are being used to
condition the public for martial law.

Of course, none of this is true. Despite what you might have heard on
social media downplaying the pandemic’s severity, the coronavirus is very real.
It’s not a figment of the public’s imagination. It’s not just another strain of
the flu or the common cold. It’s not an escaped bioweapon, it’s not a hoax, and
it’s not a ruse to institute any sort of social conditioning.

Statewide public safety and social distancing measures aren’t part
of some covert plot to curtail civil liberties. What we are facing is a
brand-new, dangerous virus that the world has never seen before, one that we
know relatively little about and has quickly spread throughout the world. Thousands
of people have died, millions are now jobless, and in the absence of clear facts,
data and strong leadership from the federal government, misinformation and
disinformation has quickly filled the void.

Misinformation, disinformation, and even conspiracy theories, of
course, are nothing new. However, in an increasingly interconnected world,
disinformation is increasingly being given a global audience with just a few
clicks on a keyboard.

In the wake of the coronavirus’ spread in the U.S. and the federal government’s mismanagement of the crisis, a wave of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories have spread like wildfire online as panicked and fear-stricken people search for answers and clarity in a digital landscape rife with disinformation.

Often times with the help of social media platforms passed along
through viral tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram videos, and across other platforms
like a perverse game of telephone, disinformation can spread to hundreds of
thousands or even millions in just a matter of hours.

In the past, misinformation and even disinformation has seldom been
viewed as threat to the general public. However, disinformation in today’s
climate can have the real potential to reap serious and even dangerous
consequences. Especially that which leaves the realm of the internet and comes
from places of authority such as the white house.

Since declaring the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency
nearly a month ago, Donald Trump has repeatedly lied and misled the public
about the coronavirus and the threat that it poses to public safety.

Some of Trump’s lies include statements such as claims that the
virus would dissipate as warmer weather approaches, despite the fact that
health experts have warned that it’s far too early to tell if the virus’ spread
will slow in warmer conditions. Others claims include that pharmaceutical
companies would be producing vaccines, despite the fact that Trump’s own
experts have said a vaccine could take anywhere from a year to 18 months to
produce.

They also include the claim that the FDA had approved the
antimalarial drug chloroquine to treat COVID-19, despite the fact that as of
now there are still no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus.

This of course, is just a very small cross-section of the lies
Donald Trump has told over the course the outbreak. Trump’s remarks and
comments are not only disingenuous, they continue to be a dangerous hindrance
to getting accurate information out to inform and protect the public. Imperiling
countless lives of with every passing day.

Where the real harm lies is the fact that whether concocted online
or coming from the white house; disinformation at a critical time like this
ultimately muddies and obscures public discussions regarding public safety.
Disinformation doesn’t just misinform or push an agenda, it effectively over
time exhausts the public’s critical thinking on a mass level.

Disinformation not only obliterates truth, it destroys any sense of
belief or confidence in the very concept of objective truth. Sowing seeds of
uncertainty, ensuring that even when the truth is reported, it is swallowed up
in a sea of half-truths and lies that feeds into a perpetual cycle of confusion
and disillusionment.

Misinformation does more than just merely misinform, it destroys
the institution of public consensus. And at a time when waiting days and even
hours can make a difference, we desperately need public consensus regarding the
facts and inherent dangers of the coronavirus.

There is a vast difference between cautious skepticism of developing
stories and blindly parroting falsehoods megaphoned from the white house and
factually bankrupt theories peddled online.

By in large most disinformation is scant in actual facts, evidence
and seldom holds up under the pressure of principled, critical analysis. We cannot
afford to perpetuate fallacies and lies that only contribute to furthering public
confusion and ignorance regarding the coronavirus.

Disinformation does nothing to help public health and safety. If
anything, it only creates more doubt and panic, squandering precious time and
resources that could be better spent educating the public on the facts and ways
they can protect themselves.

In a time where every day and hour counts, and lives literally hang in the balance, ultimately it starts with us holding ourselves responsible in not abetting the proliferation of disinformation that ultimately will only hinder public health efforts, whether that comes from the web or the president himself.

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About the author

Roberto Camacho

Roberto ‘Rob’ Camacho is a writer, born and raised in San Diego, CA. He is a staff-writer for La Neta Magazine & is the founder of Hip-Hop culture website Step Off! Magazine. He has a degree in Mass Communications and Media studies from Arizona State University. He often writes about criminal justice reform, music, Hip-Hop culture and Chicano culture. He resides on the West Coast.